Our primary goal is always to place our rescue cats into a home that will be permanent and in the best interest of the cat. We also want to make sure that the people who adopt our cats end up with a permanent and lovable family member. For these reasons, we strongly caution against the use of declawing.

It is in the best interest of the cat to leave their claws in place for many reasons.

"Declaw" is a misnomer because the procedure actually involves amputation of the toe at the first knuckle, which can lead to complications including long term pain, arthritis, and immobility of the joints in the cat's feet.

Inability to perform typical scratching behaviors interrupts the cat's natural ability to stretch and exercise their body which can lead to chronic stiffness and discomfort.

During the post surgical period, the wounds on the feet leave the cat's body open to infection.

Declawed cats are without their primary defensive weapons. If they escape their home, their are FAR more likely to be victimized by another animal.

Declawed cats may be more likely to be surrendered by their owners due to the development of personality changes and problem behaviors.*

It is in the best interest for the cat's owners to leave the cat's feet intact too.

Declawed cats are reportedly more likely to demonstrate inappropriate elimination habits, which often leads to their return. Declawed cats may demonstrate elimination outside the litter box because the litter causes painful/uncomfortable sensations on their feet or because they feel insecure and overcompensate by marking their territory excessively.*

Declawed cats may be more likely to bite when threatened since they do not have claws to use as a warning.*

Declawing is expensive, and it is common for complications to arise later that need to be addressed (such as the claw continuing to grow under the skin because bone fragments were left behind during the procedure) which are also expensive. One study showed that about 1 in 5 cats have surgical complications that warrant veterinary care.(2)

*The evidence for the occurrence of these behavioral changes is mixed and not fully conclusive at this time. However, it has seemed to hold true for many of the cats that have come through our rescue, and we do not think declawing is worth the risk of the development of these issues.

So, now you ask... "what about my couch though??" The truth is, if you own a cat, your couch is going to have some scratches on it. If that is not something you can live with, then having a cat in your home may not be a rewarding experience for you. That said, there are many ways to seriously reduce or eliminate unwanted scratching of your possessions.

Trim your cat's nails regularly.

Apply claw covers to your cat's nails. It's a simple process, needs to be done only once every few weeks. And it's hilarious and festive for your cat to look like he or she has painted nails. They also come in clear in case your cat prefers to be taken more seriously.

Buy a scratching post. A good, tall one so your cat can get a full stretch. Like this one:The Ultimate Scratching Post. In fact, buy several. Now take one of those scratching posts and put it directly next to your couch. Your cat doesn't scratch your couch because it is so scratch-worthy. He scratches it because you love the couch and spend all your time there. He marks his territory on your favorite place to show that he belongs where you belong because y'all are best friends. A scratching post in the laundry room gets no love because he doesn't feel the need to show ownership over an area you rarely spend time in. Yes, the living-room scratching post probably doesn't bring up your design aesthetic, but you can always toss it in a closet temporarily if Better Homes and Gardens shows up for a surprise photo shoot.

But what if you really, truly need your cat to be declawed? This is what we ask and recommend of our adopters. Please don't adopt an intact cat and then have him declawed. Instead, contact us, explain your situation and family circumstances, and ask us about which cats we have available who were already declawed when we rescued them. This is better for cats because nobody has to lose part of each of their toes, and it is also better for you, as an adopter, because you can meet the cat and already know how the declaw has affected him and whether or not you can live with his individual quirks. We have had a number of cats come through our rescue who were declawed: some were aggressive with other cats (because some cats think the best defense is a good offense), some will need daily medication for arthritis, and some seemed to have no idea that they were any different from anybody else. Adopting a cat who is declawed already provides a home for a homeless cat, and allows the adoptive family to truly know what they are getting long-term. It also helps our rescue because we can feel comfortable knowing that our cats will not be declawed and then returned due to complications that resulted from the procedure.

Thank you for reading, and please contact us or refer to the following sources to answer any further questions you may have!

I just read your article explaining Cat Scratching Posts. Thanks for sharing that, I learned a lot from it! By the way, which would you recommend, sisal or carpeted scratching material? It’s something I get asked quite often from my own blog’s readers and I would love to know what you might think of it. Also.... I have written an in depth resource for buying Cat Furniture and I would love it you could share it with your readers or let me know what you think. Check it out here! (http://cattree.uk/cat-scratching-tree-furniture-buyers-guide/)

We're so glad you found the article helpful! We recommend sisal for the scratching material. Both carpet and sisal work, for sure! We've just found more cats like sisal and it lasts a really long time.
We would love to share that article!! Thank you for providing the link and we will read it and share it with our followers!